Needle-changing device for talking-machines



0. 0| CARLO. NEEDLE CHANGING DEVICE FOR TALKING MACHINES.

APPLICA ION FlLED'MAR.6-i92 1 64,428. Patented J an. 4, 1921.

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lltZ/filllflf DanaZnDi Car/Zn UNITED STATES DONATO DI CARLO, OFPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

NEEDLE-CHANGING DEVICE FOR TALKING-MACHINES.

Application filed March 6,

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DONATO DI CARLO, asubject of the King of Italy, (having declared his intention of becominga citizen of the United States,) residing at Philadelphia, in the countyof Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Needle-Changing Devices for Talking-Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide an improved structure forautomatically moving the needle holder of a sound box into a positionfrom adjacent the record to a position remote from therecord so that theneedle can be conveniently changed without injuring the record.

Another object is to make my invention of a simple and durableconstruction and so that it can be easily assembled or taken apart.

These objects, and other advantageous ends which will be describedhereinafter, I attain in the following manner, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary top planview illustrating my invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1,

Fig. is a section taken on the line of Fig. 1 showing the sound box andthe locking parts in outside view,

Fig. -1 is a view of similar character to Fig. 2 showing the same afterhaving been automatically operated to move the needle holder into aposition to permit the needle to be conveniently changed withoutpossible injury to the record,

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a detached view shown partly in section of the parts of myinvention and illustrating how the same can be taken apart or puttogether, and I Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a spring retainingmember which forms a part of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, 8 represents a tone arm which has a hollowcylindrical cross or T-head 9 open at its opposite ends as shown in Fig.6. A sound box 10 has a collar llwhich fits in an open end 12 of acylindrical sleeve 13. The opposite end of the sleeve 13 is closed asshown at 14 and a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

1920. Serial No. 363,887.

trunnion 15 projects outwardly from the closed end 14. The sleeve 13 isadapted to freely rotate and fit within the head 9 and has an aperture16 adapted to register with the tone arm 8 when the needle 17 in theholder 18 of the sound box is in its operative position in engagementwith the record 19 as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

A. spiral spring 20 has its inner coiled end provided with a holethrough which a pin 21 in the trunnion 15 extends; said spring beingcoiled around said trunnion. The op posite end of the spring 20 extendsthrough a notch 22 in the head 9. The notch 22 extends inwardly from theend 23 of the head 9 and a retaining member 24, which is provided with acurved portion 25 screwed to the head 9, has an arm 26 which extendsover the notch 22 and abuts the outer end of the spring throughout itswidth. This arm 26 has an extension or hook 27 for engaging the edge ofthe spring, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and a disk 28 having a hole 29fits within the end 23 of the head 9; said trunnion having a portion 30of reduced diameter, which extends through the hole 29 of the disk 28and the shoulder 31 which is provided by the formation of said part 30of the trunnion, abuts the inner surface of the disk 28 and limits itsinward movement.

A cap screw 32 has its threaded portion fitting a tapped opening 33 inthe trunnion 15 and thereby secures the disk to the trunnion and alsoserves to hold the disk in a position closing the end 23 of the head 9.It will thus be noted that when the parts are assembled that one end ofthe spiral spring 30 is connected to the head 9 and the other endengages the pin 21 of the trunnion 15. The spring 20 is so wound thatwhen the sound box is partially rotated clockwise. for example from theposition shown in Fi 4; to the position shown in Fig. 2, that The spring20 will be wound and placed under tension so that when released thesound box will be partially rotated automatically in a contra clockwisedirection viewed from Figs. 2 and 4.

A lever 34 is pivotally mounted on a bolt 35 which is secured upon thetop of a post 36 of a bracket 37; said bracket being secured to the topof the head 9, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 6. The lever 34 at oneside of the pivot post 35 has a knob 38 and, at the opposite side ofsaid pivot bolt,

is extended to provide alatch 39. A coiled spring 40 is interposedbetween the lever and the base of the bracket 37 and serves to swing thelever 34 so that the latch 39 will be moved downwardly.

A plate 41 is secured to the peripheral edge of the sound box and has ahandle 42 projecting therefrom and a lug 43 spaced from said handle 42as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The latch 39 extends across the outersurface of the plate 41 and when the sound box 10 is partially rotatedfrom the position shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 2, thelatch 39 will engage behind the lug 43 and will be abutted by theshoulder 44 thereof so as to hold the sound box 10 against rotation bythe spiral spring 20. After the sound box has been moved into a positionsuch as shown in Fig. 2 with its needle 17 in playing positionrelatively to the record 19, if it is desired to change the needle 17 itis merely necessary to push downwardly on the knob 38 of the lever 34 soas to move the latch 39 above the level of the lug 43 and to free theshoulder 44 thereof from the latch 39. The spring 20 will then serve topartially rotate the sound box until the handle 42 strikes the latch 39and limits the further automatic rotation of the sound box and theextent of this movement is such as to position the needle holder 18 andneedle 17 sufficiently above the record 19 to prevent injury to therecord while changing the needle and permit the needle to beconveniently taken therefrom and another needle inserted. During theautomatic movement of the sound box a person can hold the handle 42 soas to prevent the latter from forcibly striking the latch or in otherwords a person can easily check the automatic movement of the sound boxby slightly exerting a retarding pressure against the handle until thelatter has come into its stopping position against the latch 39.

To remove the spiral spring 20 it is merely necessary to take out thecap screw 32 and remove the two screws which secure the retaining member24 after which the entire spring 20 can be pulled out of one end of thehead 9 and the sound box and sleeve 13 can be pulled out of the otherend thereof.

While I have described my invention as taking a particular form, it willbe under stood that the various parts of my invention may be changedwithout departing from the spirit thereof, and hence I do not limitmyself to the precise construction set forth, but consider that I am atliberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly come within thescope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is l. A talking machine including a tone armhaving a cylindrical head open at opposite ends; a sound box having asleeve thereon projecting into the head through one of said ends, saidsleeve having a trunnion thereon located adjacent the opposite end ofthe head; a spiral spring fitting within said head and surrounding thetrunnion, said spring being operatively connected to the head and to thetrunnion; and means for closing said latter mentioned end of the headand being secured to saidtrunnion whereby the spring is confined betweensaid latter means and the inner end of the sleeve and can beconveniently removed; substantially as described.

2. A talking machine including a tone arm having atransversely extendinghead open at its opposite ends; a sound box; a sleeve on said sound boxrotatably fitting within said head so that said sound box is located atone side thereof; a trunnion extending outwardly toward the opposite endof said head from the inner end of said sleeve and being located withinsaid head, said head having a notch extending inwardly from said lattermentioned end; a coiled spring fitting within said head and having oneend positioned within said notch and the other end connected to saidtrunnion; and means for securing said first end of the spring within thenotch whereby when said means is removed, said latter end of the springcan he slid out of said notch; substantially as described.

3. A talking machine including a tone arm having a head open at itsopposite ends; a sound box having a needle holder; a sleeve on saidsound box rotatably fitting within said head so that said sound box islocated at one end thereof; a trunnion extending outwardly toward theopposite end of said head from the inner end of said sleeve and beinglocated within said head, said head having a notch extending inwardlyfrom said latter end; a coiled spring fitting within said head andhaving one end positioned within said notch and the other end connectedto said trunnion; means for securing said first end of the spring withinsaid notch and means for closing said latter mentioned end of the head;substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

D'ONATO DI canto.

Witnesses:

RALPH D1 LUCIA, CHAS. E. Forms.

